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- (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. L; GATES.

FLANGING MACHINE.

No. 545,791. Patented Sept. 3, 1895.

fz .mn "EN I, 'Mulini 1 mnu (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H.L.GATBs.-. FLANGING MACHINE.

No. 545,791. Patented Sept. 3,1895.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. H. L. GATES.

FLANGING MACHINE.

No. 545,791'. Patented Sept. 3, 1895.

lINiEEn STATES PATENT EErCE.

HENRY L. GATES, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE UTILITY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE.

A SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 545,791, dated September 8, 1895..

Application md nach 11,1895.

.To all 'whom it may concern.:

Be it known thatI, HENRY L. GATES, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Milwaukee, in the county ot' Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flanging- Machines; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof. Y

io My invention has for its object to provide a simple, economical, efficient, and durable machine :especially adapted for turning flanges of more than ordinary width on sheetmetal vessel-bodies without fracturing the material from which such bodies are formed; and it consists incertain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical transverse section of a Hanging-machine constructed according to my invention and organized to flange but one end of a sheetmetal vessel-body at a time, the View being taken for the most part on line 1 1 of the succeeding figure; Fig. 2, a plan view of that por tion of said machine below the hanging-head; Fig. 3, an elevation of the same, partly broken away; Fig. 4, a sectional viewof a machine embodying certain necessary features of my invention and organized to flange both ends of a sheet-metal vessel-body at the same time. Fig. 5 represents a machine similar to the one shown by the first three figures, but including a reciprocative disk having the function hereinafter specified; Fig. 6, a detail elevation, partly in section, illustrating `the disk in connection with a stay-plate; and Fig. 7, an elevation illustrating said disk carried by a reciprocative rotary head.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A represents the base in any form of my machine, and when the latter is organized as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 said base is provided with recesses for the engagement of dowels b, depending from interchangeable circular plates B C, hereinafter more particularly described.

With particular reference to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings it will be seen that a pintle 5o D may be screw-threaded or otherwise rigidly joined to the base A, and in the organization Serial No.541,268. (No model.) l

of the machine as illustrated by said figures the pintle is engaged by meeting ends of segmental frame-sections E F, one of which is odset to overlap the other, and thereby form a hinge-joint. Rods G, screw-seated in the frame-sections E F or otherwise joined there-v to and surrounded by spiral springs H,pass up through meeting ends of other segmental frame-sections I J, lapped on each other to 6o form another hinge-joint. By means of nuts d, run on the rods G against the frame-sec tions I J, the tension of the springs H may be regulated, and it will be understood that said springs constitute yielding supports for said frame-sections. Thesegmentalframe-sections EJ beingin rod connection andthe ones F I in like connection, the entire frame may be readily opened or closed, and a projection e on the section Iis engaged bya pivotal hook fon sec- 7o tion J to hold said frame in its closed position. All of the segmental frame-sections are preferablyof cast-iron, and the upper ones I J are shaped toform interior seats for corresponding sections K of a hardened steel ring, that presents right-angle working faces preferably joined by a curve, and the ring-sections are held in place by the engagement of depending dowels g with corresponding recesses in the adjacent frame-sections.V

The hardened steel ring constitutes a support and shaper for the flange to be turned on a sheet-metal vessel-body, the operation `being effected by means of rollers L, loose on spindles M, that radiate from a rotative head N and are preferably adjustable therein, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. It is also necessary in practice that the head N have movement longitudinally of its axis, in order that the rollers L may come on and off the opposing 9a Fig. 1, a vessel-body will be set in the frame to encircle the stay-plate B and have its outer end flush with the upper face of the hardened steel ring above specified. Now, if the rotary head be lowered, the rollers L thereon, being of suitable Working contour will first expand said end of the vessel-body against the adjacent curved inner edge of the hardened steel ring, after which, by continued downward movement of said head working in opposition to the yielding frame-sections I J, the expanded end of said vessel-body will be drawn horizontally between said rollers and ring to complete the flange, the width of the latter being proportionate to travel of the aforesaid head and yield of said frame-sections on their supporting-springs.

The Hanging operation being completed, the head islifted andthe expansion of the springs II returns the frame-sections I J to normal position,lif tin g the flanged vessel-body therewith. After this operation it is not necessary to open the machine-frame to withdraw the vessel-body therefrom, as only one en d has been flanged, and this end is outermost. Therefore it follows that it is not always essential that said frame be separable, as herein shown and described.

When one end of a vessel-body has been flanged and it is desirable to flange the other end, I employ the stayplate C in place of the 'one B, the substitute plate being provided with a seat of suitable contour to receive the previously-formed fiange and prevent the same from getting out of shape when the action of the head takes place in the manner above described. This organization of the machine is shown in Fig. 8, and it follows that there must be a separable frame in order to permit insertion and withdrawal of the vesselbody.

In Fig. 4 I show a machine organized to flan ge both ends of a vessel-body at the same time, there being a separable frame that has a stationary half mounted on the base A and a movable half in hinge connection with the one aforesaid. There are necessarily two sets of spring-controlled segmental frame-sections I J, and hardened steel ring-sections K, pertaining to these frame-sections, are held in their seats by screws h or other suitable means, the frame being horizontal instead of vertical. There being two hardened steel 1 rings there are two reciprocative rotary heads N, carrying rollers L, and in practice said heads will be rotated in opposite directions. In this form of my machine the frame is opened to permit the insertion or withdrawal of a vessel-body, and one of the latter being positioned in said frame the heads are brought toward each other to turn flanges at both ends of said body at the same time.

In the latter form of machine the framesections E F are intermediate of the two sets of those I J, the first of the former sections being provided with feet t', bolted to the base. The pintle D and rods G extend through all the framesections, and said rods are held against longitudinal play by means of collars j, abutting the frame-sections E F, the springs I'I being intermediate of these collars and those frame-sections that have loose play on the aforesaid rods. Y

The frame of the double-flanging machine may be held closed by the same means as above described in connection with those forms of my machine adapted for Hanging but one end of a vessel-body at a time.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 I show that the stayplates B C may be made in the form of rings or washers to save metal; but in Figs. 5 and 6 I show each plate solid throughout and pro vided with `a central post Q, surrounded by a spiral spring R, and resting on this spring is a disk S, loosely arranged on the post Within the vessel normally parallel to the hardened steel 'ring or ange-shaper K, above specified. The disk S is run down against resistance of spring R by lthe pressure of the Hanging-rollers L and operates to prevent the vessel-body from buckling while an end ange is being turned. The flanging having been completed, the expansion of spring R operates to return the disk to normal position as the head N ren cedes.

In Fig. 7 I show that the disk S may be carried by the flanging-head if found more desirable; but in any case it is reciprocative and serves the purpose above explained. The disk will be found necessary in working light stock and may be used to advantage in any form of the machine.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine for Hanging sheet-metal bodies, the combination of a suitable bodyreceiving frame having a yielding flange-shaping portion, a rotary head movable longitudinally of its axis, and langing rollers carried by the head in opposition to said yielding portion of the frame.

2. In a machine for Hanging sheet-metal bodies, the combination of a body-receiving frame having a yielding portion, a flange- Shaper seated in the yielding portion of the frame,a rotary head movable longitudinally of its axis, and Hanging rollers carried by the head in opposition to said fiange-shaper.

3. In a machine for flanging sheet-metal bodies, the combination of a separable bodyreceiving frame having yielding portions, flange-Shaper sections seated in the yielding portions of the frame, a rotary head movable longitudinally of its axis, and Hanging rollers carried by the head in opposition to the flange-Shaper.

4. In a machine for anging sheet-metal bodies, the combination of a bodyereceiving frame having a yielding portion provided with a flange-Shaper, a stay-plate on the machine-base within said frame, a rotary head movable longitudinally of its axis, and flanging-rollers carried by the head in opposition to the flange-Shaper,

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5. In a machine for Hanging sheet-metal bodies, the combination of a separable bodyreceiving frame having yielding portions, a flange-Shaper section seated in each yielding portion of the frame, a stay-plate on the machine-base within said frame, a rotary head movable longitudinally of its axis, and Iianging rollers carried by the head in opposition to the flange-Shaper.

6. In a machine for Hanging sheet-metal bodies, the combination of a body-receiving frame comprising rods, springs surrounding the rods and a iiange-shaper having its holder loose on the rods against the springs; a rotary head movable longitudinally of its axis, and langing rollers carried by the head in4 opposition to the flange-Shaper.

7. In a machine for hanging sheet-metal bodies the combination of a suitable bodyreceiving frame having a yielding flange shaping portion, a rotary head movable longitudinally of its axis,flanging rollers carried b'y the head in opposition to said yielding portion of the frame, and a disk operative within HENRY L. GATESa Witnesses:

N. E. OLIPHANT,

H. G. UNDERwooD. 

